Release Candidates: Patriots WRs

At the moment, the Patriots currently have seven wide receivers who are deserving of roster spots: Brown, Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism. Generally, teams only carry six WRs during the regular season. New England is no exception. As ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes, the last time New England carries seven wideouts was 2007, when the team rostered Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Jabar Gaffney, Donte’ Stallworth, Troy Brown, Kelley Washington, and Chad Jackson.

If the Patriots have their way, they’ll find a trade partner for one of their extra WRs before the start of the 2026 campaign. That may be easier said than done, which could ultimately lead to the team cutting one of their notable wideouts. Either path would lead to another question: who should go?

Brown is obviously safe, as is Doubs, who just inked a four-year, $68MM contract with the Patriots as a free agent. Hollins, who brings elite blocking ability and emerged as a key target during last season’s playoffs, also seems safe. The same goes for Williams, who was drafted in the third round of the 2025 draft and has been lauded for his game-breaking speed. That leaves three trade/release candidates: Boutte, Douglas, and Chism.

Boutte’s trade candidacy isn’t anything new, as the Patriots have been shopping him throughout the offseason. Following the Brown trade, we learned that the player himself was also open to new opportunities. The former sixth-round pick was actually the most productive of the aforementioned trio in 2025, as he finished with 33 catches for 551 yards and a position-leading six receiving touchdowns. He also paced the Patriots with 16.7 yards per reception (among players with at least 25 targets).

From the outside, it would seem that Boutte would be a layup to make the team. However, there are two factors working against him. For starters, he’s entering the final season of his rookie contract, and considering the recent investments the Patriots have made at the position, it seems unlikely he’ll be in New England beyond the 2026 campaign. Secondly, Boutte is mostly utilized as an outside wideout, a position that’s already covered with Brown, Doubs, Hollins, and Williams. Both Douglas and Chism serve as the team’s depth in the slot.

The Patriots were reportedly shopping Boutte for a fifth- or sixth-round pick but apparently couldn’t find any takers. That means the fourth-year player could eventually turn into a release candidate if the staff determines they don’t want to carry seven WRs into the regular season. Boutte’s release would provide the Patriots with about $3.6MM in cap savings.

Considering their spots in the offensive pecking order, Douglas and Chism could also be trade or release candidates. Like Boutte, Douglas was also a 2023 sixth-round pick and will be hitting free agency after the season, but he has the benefit of being the team’s most experienced slot WR. That didn’t translate to an abundance of targets in 2025; after averaging 83 targets per year through his first two NFL seasons, Douglas was only targeted 46 times in 2025. Perhaps the Patriots continue to deemphasize the role, and considering Chism’s contract flexibility (he’s signed through 2027 before hitting RFA), the team could choose to ditch Douglas, which would provide similar cap savings as Boutte.

While Chism has the contractual advantage over Boutte and Douglas, he obviously doesn’t have the same track record. The 2025 UDFA was a surprise addition to the Patriots active roster last year, but he failed to emerge as a bona fide part of the offense. He ended up getting into eight games as a rookie, hauling in three catches for 75 yards and one score.

Perhaps the Patriots suffer an injury between now and the start of the regular season, allowing them to delay the decision. Or perhaps the team does indeed look to carry all seven WRs, especially if they can justify one of the spots with a significant special teams role (as they did in ’07 with Washington and for many years with Matthew Slater). Most likely, the team will continue to survey the trade market for Boutte, Douglas, and Chism, and they may eventually find a taker as rival teams navigate their own depth charts over the next month-plus.